H ypothalamus an important region for controlling NREM sleep

1. Hypothalamus • an important region for controlling NREM sleep • may be the region keeping track of how long we have been awake and how large our sleep debt is • Sends neurotransmitters to the frontal cortex to wake us up Pons • critical for initiating REM sleep • Plays a key role in dreaming • Sends neurotransmitters to frontal cortex to wake us up • Sends signals to spinal cord to temporarily paralyze us while in REM sleep Pineal Gland • Secretes melatonin, which is a hormone that helps you fall asleep Thalamus • helps regulate wakefulness, alertness, etc. • Damage to this area may result in a permanent coma. • The thalamus is like a switchboard as all sensory information (except olfactory) also go through the thalamus before moving on to other parts of the brain Suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus • Is a very small structure consisting of a pair of pinhead-size regions • Controls our circadian clock which is partly our sleep/wake cycle